around the eyes and nose. Karis flipped the dagger, then hurled it. It sailed through the figure and clattered against the far wall.
'You have nothing to fear, child,' whispered a voice inside her head.
'Who are you?' she asked, aloud. Beside her Sirano stirred and woke.
'I am Ranaloth,' said the apparition.
'The spirit of the Pearl,' said Sirano. 'Are you ready to give me what I want?'
'I cannot. Nor should you make any more attempts to steal it.'
'I will beat you, Eldarin. Just as I destroyed your people. You cannot stop me.'
'You are not quite correct. I could stop you. I could kill you, child. Instead I appeal to you, Sirano, not to continue. The Pearl is more important than your ambition. And should you succeed, you will unleash a terror you cannot control.'
'Empty words,' sneered Sirano.
'The Eldarin do not lie, Duke of Romark; we put that behind us a thousand years ago. You see the Pearl as a weapon, as an aid to your dreams of conquest and immortality. But it is not a weapon. And it will not, even if pierced, give you what you desire.'
'Do not seek to fool me, old man,' said Sirano. 'I am a Master of Spells. I can feel the power within the Pearl, and soon I will draw it to me.'
The figure stood silently for a moment, then Ranaloth spoke again. 'A long time ago the Eldarin faced another evil,' he said. 'We contained it, removed it from the world. The Pearl holds that evil at bay. Do not .
. .' Suddenly the light around the apparition flickered and the old man staggered. 'Your sorcerers continue to attack us,' he said. His shoulders slumped, and he spread his hands in a gesture of hopelessness. 'Now,' he said, an infinite sadness in his voice, 'it is too late.' Turning to Karis, he told her, 'Leave this city and take to the high places. Your world is finished. Desolation and horror await you.'
The light dimmed and the figure disappeared. The two humans sat in silence for several moments, then Karis rose from the bed. 'What have you done, Saro? What has your evil brought us to?'
'Evil?' he sneered. 'What is evil? All men of power are called evil by their enemies. It means nothing, it is just a word.'
'The Eldarin said our world is finished. He promised desolation and horror.'
'He lied!'
'Why would he lie? What would be his purpose?' Karis shook her head. 'No, Sirano, his words rang with the truth. You destroyed the Eldarin. You plunged the world into war. And now you have unleashed an evil force that might destroy us all.'
'What evil force? I tell you he lied, and I'll tell you why. It was because he knew I had him! And I will have his power!'
'I don't think so,' said Karis. 'And you no longer have me.'
'We have a contract!'
'The unearned monies will be returned to you. My men and I will leave with the dawn.'
'As you will,' he said. 'Perhaps when you come back to me on bended knee I will forgive you, Karis.'
She laughed at him. 'You will need to be immortal, Saro, to live long enough to see that day. Now be so kind as to leave me in peace. I need some sleep.'
The door closed behind Sirano and Karis stood silently, listening as the sound of his footsteps receded.
Once sure he was not coming back, she moved swiftly to the large wardrobe and took from it her riding clothes: breeches of brown oiled leather and a shirt of thick, cream-coloured wool, knee-length boots with a two-inch heel, and a sleeveless leather jerkin, the shoulders and upper back reinforced by a delicately wrought cape and hood of tiny mail rings. Moving to the mirror by the bedside she brushed back her shoulder-length black hair, drawing it tightly into a ponytail which she tied at the nape of her neck. Without the softening effect of her hair hanging loose Karis looked older, and she stared hard at her reflection. The dark eyes had seen too much pain, and it showed in the guarded gaze. Leaning forward, she lifted her hand to her temple. A single grey hair shone there. Angrily she plucked it out. Twenty-eight is not so old, she
'You have nothing to fear, child,' whispered a voice inside her head.
'Who are you?' she asked, aloud. Beside her Sirano stirred and woke.
'I am Ranaloth,' said the apparition.
'The spirit of the Pearl,' said Sirano. 'Are you ready to give me what I want?'
'I cannot. Nor should you make any more attempts to steal it.'
'I will beat you, Eldarin. Just as I destroyed your people. You cannot stop me.'
'You are not quite correct. I could stop you. I could kill you, child. Instead I appeal to you, Sirano, not to continue. The Pearl is more important than your ambition. And should you succeed, you will unleash a terror you cannot control.'
'Empty words,' sneered Sirano.
'The Eldarin do not lie, Duke of Romark; we put that behind us a thousand years ago. You see the Pearl as a weapon, as an aid to your dreams of conquest and immortality. But it is not a weapon. And it will not, even if pierced, give you what you desire.'
'Do not seek to fool me, old man,' said Sirano. 'I am a Master of Spells. I can feel the power within the Pearl, and soon I will draw it to me.'
The figure stood silently for a moment, then Ranaloth spoke again. 'A long time ago the Eldarin faced another evil,' he said. 'We contained it, removed it from the world. The Pearl holds that evil at bay. Do not .
. .' Suddenly the light around the apparition flickered and the old man staggered. 'Your sorcerers continue to attack us,' he said. His shoulders slumped, and he spread his hands in a gesture of hopelessness. 'Now,' he said, an infinite sadness in his voice, 'it is too late.' Turning to Karis, he told her, 'Leave this city and take to the high places. Your world is finished. Desolation and horror await you.'
The light dimmed and the figure disappeared. The two humans sat in silence for several moments, then Karis rose from the bed. 'What have you done, Saro? What has your evil brought us to?'
'Evil?' he sneered. 'What is evil? All men of power are called evil by their enemies. It means nothing, it is just a word.'
'The Eldarin said our world is finished. He promised desolation and horror.'
'He lied!'
'Why would he lie? What would be his purpose?' Karis shook her head. 'No, Sirano, his words rang with the truth. You destroyed the Eldarin. You plunged the world into war. And now you have unleashed an evil force that might destroy us all.'
'What evil force? I tell you he lied, and I'll tell you why. It was because he knew I had him! And I will have his power!'
'I don't think so,' said Karis. 'And you no longer have me.'
'We have a contract!'
'The unearned monies will be returned to you. My men and I will leave with the dawn.'
'As you will,' he said. 'Perhaps when you come back to me on bended knee I will forgive you, Karis.'
She laughed at him. 'You will need to be immortal, Saro, to live long enough to see that day. Now be so kind as to leave me in peace. I need some sleep.'
The door closed behind Sirano and Karis stood silently, listening as the sound of his footsteps receded.
Once sure he was not coming back, she moved swiftly to the large wardrobe and took from it her riding clothes: breeches of brown oiled leather and a shirt of thick, cream-coloured wool, knee-length boots with a two-inch heel, and a sleeveless leather jerkin, the shoulders and upper back reinforced by a delicately wrought cape and hood of tiny mail rings. Moving to the mirror by the bedside she brushed back her shoulder-length black hair, drawing it tightly into a ponytail which she tied at the nape of her neck. Without the softening effect of her hair hanging loose Karis looked older, and she stared hard at her reflection. The dark eyes had seen too much pain, and it showed in the guarded gaze. Leaning forward, she lifted her hand to her temple. A single grey hair shone there. Angrily she plucked it out. Twenty-eight is not so old, she
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